Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-13
Average, $6.6
Old Schedule, Present Seized, Proposed Sched..
Feet front, Feet 'front.' Feet 'front.'
A BIG FIRE IN PIrrsRURG.
Business Houses DESTROYED
The Loss Estimated at 81, ,OO0, 900.

N AoAN 4 uAN = AS0OAVHs
Numerous Business Houses Destroyed
The Loss Estimated at 81, 100000
A very disastrous fire took place in Pittsburg,
Pa, last night. The flames started in the rear OF
the Masonic building, presumably In the base
ment Of Campbell & Dicks carpet store On
three sides were solid brick buildings, forming a
quadrangle, accomplishing quarter Of an acre OF
tinuer boxes. On the east side was the loftiest
building In the city, the Hamilton, which lowered
above the flames that licked its mass. Seven
stories above the ground it presented solid wall
OF brick, which offered no opening for the fire.
men to work upon that side The buildings on 9Th
avenue also prevented An advantageous placing
OF the fremen with the roaring fre increasing In
volume and extent at every second. there were
but Two sides at which the nremen could work.
1d,a Tns rear was soa na,fSw rS alley The pipemen
Of the S though ae Work fess at
some elevation rrom the hottest OF the fire.
sesaon ssb after section Of hose ts was burst ny the
Ing, din1culty increased by the tramping OF
thousands OF feet upon the l1nes At IL p. 10. the
height Of the roofs upon which the pipernen were
stationed, and i6 then seemed that the destruction
Of the entire block and $1,000. 900 worth OF
the Hamilton building, i've stories higher than the
structures which flanked it, caught from the
cracking area Of white hot Goals that glowed
to reach the elevation at which the second stage
OF the cOnhagratiOn began. The Hamilton
structure extends entirely through the block to
Virgin alley.
TOUGH WORK FOR THE FIRRMEN
long ladder was run up the rear, and a detail
OF f1remen slowly tOlled upward with line
OF hose. When the flfth-story windows had
been almost reached the water was turned on at a
frightful pressure. The shock almost hurled the
men at the nozzle from the ladder. The wriggling
tortuouS hose wr1thed In their grasp. To release
II would have been to have stripped those lower
down from the lofty ladders With cool resolu-
tion, however, the men pointed the stream d.
ladder that every moment threatened to careen to
the pavement below. In this perilous, agonlzing
position they chung for nearly four minutes before
the eyes OF the horror-StI1cken crowd. The word
reached the end OF the line and the wicked stream
was cut on. BY this time the seventh, eight and
ninth floors OF the Hamilton were ablaze, and no
stream OF water could more than touch the fringe
OF the fame along the side.
The Dispatch bu ldtng was on fire a score of
times, and the printers were driven from their
cases by the smoke, but prompt work prevented
the destruction or the structure. 1t was CON-
pletely water-soaked, however, and no paper was
issued this morning. The IRE started about o
O'Clock last night, and 1t was nearly 3 this morn
Ing before the flames were under control. The loss
is estimated at s., 600 600. The origin OF the re
Is unknown. The rumOr that 1t was the work OF
1ncendlar1es for the purpose Of robbery cannot be
traced TO any reliable source.